Friday Gossip

by David Clayton@dclayton_MCFC

Bernardo: 'Pep charges me double!'

As our first home game of the new season edges ever closer, we look at Friday's media coverage of City...

Bernardo Silva, Mark Lawrenson and predicted line-up for our visitors is the meat of today's media round-up...
News
Radio 5 Live: Bernardo on pink shorts and What's App groups
Radio 5 Live have been speaking with City favourite Bernardo Silva about his first two years in Manchester - with our glorious weather taking pole position...
"People say the weather in Manchester is always raining but I did not believe them, so I arrived in my pink swimming shorts straight from Ibiza. It was so cold in July when I arrived, and I thought: 'Is it like this the whole year?' And it is.

"I'm used to it now, but I come from Portugal and I lived in Monaco for three years where the weather is very good. You have a few weeks of sun in Manchester but to play football it is much better. You can run and run, and you are not tired because it is not too hot.

"I was born in Lisbon city centre, so I am used to traffic and noise. I'm not a country boy and I like to be in the city. If I need a restaurant, or just a loaf of bread, I can walk there and that is the way I like to live.
"People know who you are and sometimes people ask for pictures but it's fine and the people of Manchester are very respectful, so when Pep gives us a day off, I go for breakfast almost every day and I take a walk in the city centre. I like Juan Mata's restaurant and I go to Pep's restaurant, but we have to pay double!"
Predictions
Sport Review: Lawrenson expecting City to edge it
BBC Sport pundit Mark Lawrenson is backing Manchester City to edge to a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening
Lawrenson is tipping Manchester City to ease to a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at The Etihad on Saturday evening.
The reigning Premier League champions made the perfect start to the 2019-20 season thanks to a 5-0 victory over West Ham United last weekend.
Raheem Sterling scored a hat-trick to secure a resounding victory over the Hammers to hoist the title holders to the top of the table.

“Tottenham were pretty unimpressive until the final 20 minutes of their win over Aston Villa, but that doesn’t matter – they got the win, which is what the top teams do when they don’t play well," Lawrenson told BBC Sport.
“City were a lot more like their usual selves in their big win against West Ham, but I am expecting a much tighter game here because Spurs have got the weapons to hurt them on the break.
“I still expect Pep Guardiola’s side to win, but it is not going to be straightforward."

Opinion
Evening Standard: How Spurs are likely to line up at the Etihad
Dan Kilpatrrick writes: "
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to shuffle his back for Saturday's meeting with champions Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.
Pochettino is under pressure to restore Christian Eriksen to his starting XI for the daunting trip to City, while Jan Vertonghen –another player in the final year of his contract – is also pushing to return after being excluded from the squad for fitness reasons last weekend.
Explaining his decision to leave Vertonghen out altogether against Villa, Pochettino said: "We decide for different reasons that we will play Davinson and Toby and then Serge on the bench can play in two sides and Dier can play centre-back too. It’s impossible to find a place for every player."
The midfield diamond was ineffective in the 3-1 win over Aston Villa but the Spurs manager will be tempted by the midfield protection offered by trio Ndombele, Sissoko and Winks, with Lamela likely to be dropped.
Spurs are without City's Champions League tormentors Heung-min Son (suspended) and Fernando Llorente, who has left the club.
Predicted XI: Hugo Lloris; Kyle Walker-Peters, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose; Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko; Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Lucas Moura.